I'm curious what churches in your area are doing with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services as Christmas is a Sunday?

We have two Christmas Eve services at 5p and 7p. We will have one service on Sunday morning at our usual 10a but will not have Sunday school that morning. We are doing the same thing on January 1st. Our Sunday evening contemporary service is taking a two week hiatus.

I did a piece on this a few days ago. LifeWay did a survey that showed 92% or so will have Christmas Day services.

Some churches have moved their Christmas Eve service to the 23rd so as to avoid a church event on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as if is just too much interference with family time. I always did both. The church I attend is cancelling Christmas Day services.

The Alliance church where I am currently a member has an informal worship service on Saturday evening, and a regular service on Sunday morning, but since Christmas is Sunday, it will have a candlelight Christmas Eve service Saturday evening, and regular service Sunday morning. The Society of Friends, where we've been attending recently will serve Christmas eve dinner at a community ministry center, so the staff can go worship, and will have its regular services at 9 and 10:30 on Sunday.

William Thornton wrote:I did a piece on this a few days ago. LifeWay did a survey that showed 92% or so will have Christmas Day services.

Some churches have moved their Christmas Eve service to the 23rd so as to avoid a church event on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as if is just too much interference with family time. I always did both. The church I attend is cancelling Christmas Day services.

Japanese Baptist (and I think First Baptist) in Seattle did their Christmas Eve stuff yesterday afternoon. I missed most of it because it was also the Zamenhof's Birthday banquet. I think Fremont is sticking to the calendar; I'll probably go there next Sunday, or maybe Saturday, as Mrs. H. is out of town for two weeks.

William Thornton wrote:I did a piece on this a few days ago. LifeWay did a survey that showed 92% or so will have Christmas Day services.

Some churches have moved their Christmas Eve service to the 23rd so as to avoid a church event on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, as if is just too much interference with family time. I always did both. The church I attend is cancelling Christmas Day services.

I've not heard of many churches canceling Sunday services (other than for weather) but I have heard of a few. I expect small numbers on Christmas morning. But I don't feel right about not having a worship service on Sunday. That's my preference, no judgement of others intended.

William Thornton wrote:I agree with Timothy. Worship on the Lord's Day even if it's Christmas. I bet there are many for whom worship on Christmas Day is the highlight.

I'm happy to have the service. We'll leave town for family gatherings afterwards. Our two Christmas Eve services are the largest services of the year actually surpassing Easter Sunday as so many people come home for family here.

Christmas Eve services around here always seem to draw big crowds, if the weather is good. It was nice last year, so we had a full house, which is about 120. To put that in perspective, normal weekend attendance is 80. We're going to serve a meal at a community center on Christmas Eve with the Society of Friends where we've been attending the past few weeks. They have 9 and 10:30 services on Sunday, which is the normal schedule, so we're planning to go there at 9, and make our Alliance church service at 10:45.

Our church had its quarterly business meeting tonight (Wednesday). Someone made a motion that we cancel worship this Sunday morning because it is Christmas Day. Nine people voted in favor of the motion to cancel. Ten people voted against. {And some people still think it isnt important to go to business meetings!]. I found it interesting that the people voting for, were mostly choir members and their spouses. Also, the church organist voted for cancellation...hoping to get a free day off with pay.

Sunday services and service time as usual for us, except that we are substituting singing Christmas hymns when we normally have our Bible study time (aka Sunday School). Since our congregation is a mostly older body we will probably have a larger crowd than usual. That is, instead of folks leaving, we will have children and grandchildren coming in for the holidays. Christmas Eve service is not something we do, unless, of course, our scheduled service happens to fall on Christmas Eve.

Not sure what most churches in our area are doing, but I haven't heard of too many cancellations. I think the tendency among those I've talked to or heard from is to move the service to an earlier time -- for example, start at 8 am instead of 10 am.

Chris wrote:Our church had its quarterly business meeting tonight (Wednesday). Someone made a motion that we cancel worship this Sunday morning because it is Christmas Day. Nine people voted in favor of the motion to cancel. Ten people voted against. {And some people still think it isnt important to go to business meetings!]. I found it interesting that the people voting for, were mostly choir members and their spouses. Also, the church organist voted for cancellation...hoping to get a free day off with pay.

You're lucky your church by-laws don't have an Electoral College in place, or you might have had to forgo church this Sunday even though the majority said to have the service.

Chris wrote:Our church had its quarterly business meeting tonight (Wednesday). Someone made a motion that we cancel worship this Sunday morning because it is Christmas Day. Nine people voted in favor of the motion to cancel. Ten people voted against. {And some people still think it isnt important to go to business meetings!]. I found it interesting that the people voting for, were mostly choir members and their spouses. Also, the church organist voted for cancellation...hoping to get a free day off with pay.

I'm surprised that the bylaws allow for a simple vote on the cancelation of worship. Most the Baptist churches I pastored had in their bylaws that there would be worship on the Lord's Day. Exceptions were for weather and not convenience.